10/2/12 1:00 PM EDT

Reuters

Prior to the deadly September 11th terrorist attacks on the U.S. consulate in Benghazi, Libya, the diplomatic outpost was attacked on at least two occasions according to a new House Oversight committee letter — and had requested additional security resources from Washington in vain.

In a letter to Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, chairman Rep. Darrell Issa (R-Calif.) and subcommittee chairman Rep. Jason Chaffetz (R-Utah) identify at least two separate attacks on the outpost prior to the deadly September attacks.

Two former security guards threw explosive devices over the fence in April, while militants detonated an explosive at the gate of the consulate in June. Only the latter attack had been previously reported, by the Wall Street Journal. The report also indicates that militants made a specific threat on Facebook against the late Ambassador Chris Stevens' life, causing him to stop his morning jogs when he was working at the embassy in Tripoli.

The House letter also says that multiple U.S. federal government officials confirmed they made repeated requests for better security in Benghazi, but their requests were denied by officials in Washington.